Lysacek out, Mahbanoozadeh in

This makes me appreciate even more Johnny Weir. Although I'm certainly not a fan of Johnny's personality I have to admire his guts. He does not only stand by what he said, he even showed up at a Senior B!

I wonder if Lysaceks body can't take all the training anymore? If yes, shouldn't he have found out already - given that he already trained competitively for a year. Than he shouldn't have accepted Skate America and not announced his comeback.

I wonder if Lysaceks body can't take all the training anymore? If yes, shouldn't he have found out already - given that he already trained competitively for a year. Than he shouldn't have accepted Skate America and not announced his comeback.

In all fairness, Lysacek sustained the groin injury AFTER he accepted the assignment to Skate America. I saw Lysacek skate at Ice Chips in April and he skated great. Injuries in skating happen all the time. He sustained the groin injury a few days prior to his scheduled August Sun Valley performance. Groin injuries require time to heal and can become a chronic injury if not treated properly. If Lysacek's long term goal is to compete for a spot on the 2014 Olympic team, it is best that he not try to skate competitively until the injury heals completely. I have seen too many athletes try to compete with groin injuries, with the end result being aggravating the injury to the point of needing surgery.

After all the announcements recently, with this one injured and that one canceling, my head is in a level 4 spin. I have visions of YouTube videos of Skate America with just music playing and no one on the ice.

This makes me appreciate even more Johnny Weir. Although I'm certainly not a fan of Johnny's personality I have to admire his guts. He does not only stand by what he said, he even showed up at a Senior B!

I wonder if Lysaceks body can't take all the training anymore? If yes, shouldn't he have found out already - given that he already trained competitively for a year. Than he shouldn't have accepted Skate America and not announced his comeback.

I will put it bluntly. I dont think any of Lysacek, Ando, or Plushenko are willing to go through with their comebacks all the way. Evan will keep stalling with excuses or injury, probably not coming back at all. Plushenko will keep competing at events like Europeans, Russian Nationals, or Cup of Russia only, may compete at the Sochi Olympics and be willing to chance a mediocre showing there, but wont compete at a Worlds. Ando will compete at some fluff event as her swang song sometime in the next year.

Weir is the only one who will go through with his comeback full tilt. I predict it will not be particularly frutiful, and he will never make a U.S World or Olympic team again, and be retired again in a year or two, but I think he will go through and try all he can, including competing anywhere he can. Unlike those others he has nothing to lose, nobody expects him to do well, and in a sense that puts him in a nicer position, he can just try his best with no pressure. Those others were last seen on top, and all deep down know immense failure relative to their last top successes are likely, so each will keep dipping their toes in but no more. It is mostly about staying in the news and endorsement money for them anyway I beileve.

Had Evan competed at Skate American and even came 3rd behind Hanyu and Abbott (or heaven forbid lower) that would already be seen as a failure by people including the naive U.S public, some who probably think he is still the best since he won the Olympics (lol) so I understand his being tepid to compete even in something like this, injury or not.

And Hersh reports:
"His first planned event after Skate America is to be the U.S. Championships in January, but it is possible Lysacek may now compete in a minor (non-Grand Prix) international event this fall.
Among those under consideration are the NRW Trophy in Dortmund, Germany, Dec. 5-9 and the Golden Spin of Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia Dec. 13-16."

ETA:

And per one of USFSA's tweets announcing the withdrawal, the media will hear more from Lysacek tomorrow:

U.S. Figure Skating ‏@USFigureSkating

We will have a comment from Evan Lysacek tomorrow after his pre-Skate America event conference call.
3:13 PM - 10 Oct 12